The shoulder injury that Shikhar Dhawan picked up while fielding in the third ODI against Australia has left him unable to participate in the T20I series in New Zealand, according to reports.
The opener landed awkwardly on his shoulder while making a diving stop off an Aaron Finch shot in the fifth over of the series decider in Bangalore. He was in evident discomfort and was taken off the field, and did not come out to bat as India won the match by seven wickets.
Dhawan was since sent for an X-ray.#INDvAUS https://t.co/s1QWC2wg30
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) January 20, 2020
He will now miss the five Twenty20 Internationals to be played against the Black Caps between January 24 and February 2. A decision is yet to be made on whether he will be available for the ODI series, which starts on February 5, the squad for which is expected to be announced in a few days.
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BCCI are yet to announce a replacement for Dhawan for the T20I series. KL Rahul is likely to open alongside Rohit Sharma.
The timing of the injury could hardly be worse for Dhawan, with the T20 World Cup scheduled for later this year. In addition, the left-hander’s position in the squad had come under some scrutiny before his knocks of 74 and 96 against Australia put those doubts to rest. However, if KL Rahul performs well at the top of the order again, as he has in Dhawan’s injury-enforced absence previously, the 34-year-old might find it difficult to break back in.
